There are some people who deserve to succeed. Because they are friendly, nice, honest, ethical. And Glen Van Peski is one of those people.
His love of the outdoors led him to establish GVP Gear, a home grown business, which Glen and his family ran, sewing ultralight packs while he worked as an engineer to make ends meet. Years later he co-founded Gossamer Gear.
Look for a Fit
I purchased a GVP pack from him a few years ago in my quest for the most lightweight gear. In a few days, I got this beautiful hand-crafted pack. I tried it on and it didn’t fit. Not because of GVP but because it just didn’t fit my frame. I called Glen and he sent me another size pack to try.That one just didn’t feel right when loaded with all my gear (I suspect I was trying to carry too much at the time). Finally, Glen sent me a third pack to try. Nothing worked, so I gave up.
Glen was just absolutely great in trying to help me get the right pack. And didn't hassle me when I couldn't find what I wanted.
Then I kind of lost track of GVP. Checking out the August issue of Backpacker Magazine, I kept seeing ads for Gossamer Gear. I checked a little further and sure enough, it is Glen Van Peski’s company with co-founder Grant Sible. I think we are lucky he stuck with the business and now offers incredibly lightweight gear. Among them is the G5 Hyperlight Pack , a sleek 7.5 ounce model that weighs in at 7.8 – 9.4 ounces (depending on size) and costs just $105.
Outfitting yourself for backpacking can feel like an overwhelming task. There are so many choices. Too many, I think. So how do you start?